Sounding Number Course

What is the difference between “sound” and “music?” Many have debated this question, and there’s no quick answer, because some people’s “sound” is other people’s “music.”  I like the French composer Edgar Varese’s description that “music is organized sound.” This organization can be seen on many different levels, from the sounds that musical instruments make to the way a composer structures a piece. Mathematics is helpful in describing the patterns that we find in music.  Sometimes mathematics can help us create new music.

Sounding Number:  Music and Mathematics from Ancient to Modern Times is a general education mathematics course created and taught by Dr. Rachel Hall at Saint Joseph’s University.